Reason Prince Andrew 'once refused move to Frogmore Cottage'
There have been calls for him to vacate Royal LodgePrince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, are allegedly preparing to vacate their home of Royal Lodge, with reports suggesting they are eyeing up Frogmore Cottage and Adelaide Cottage as part of their exit deal.
This seems to be a big U-turn for Prince Andrew, who has reportedly turned down previous chances to move to Frogmore Cottage.
Why did Prince Andrew turn down Frogmore Cottage?
In 2003, Prince Andrew signed a 75-year lease on Royal Lodge. The lease is valid until 2078.
The 30-room property is located within Windsor Great Park in Berkshire. It was previously The Queen Mother’s home up until her death in 2002.
Andrew moved into the house in 2004, with his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also moved in in 2008, 12 years after the couple divorced.
After becoming monarch in 2022, rumours have swirled claiming that King Charles wanted his brother to vacate Royal Lodge. The king reportedly wanted his brother, who stepped back from royal duties in 2019, to downsize.
Frogmore Cottage, the former home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was apparently one of the alternatives proposed to Andrew.
Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank lived there briefly in late 2020. However, the house has been unoccupied since. Harry and Meghan were asked to vacate the property officially in 2023. It came after they moved to California after quitting their senior royal duties in 2020.
However, according to reports, Prince Andrew was dead set against this idea.
According to the Daily Mail in 2023, Andrew thought moving from Royal Lodge to Frogmore Cottage was a “downgrade”.
Royal Insider has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment on this story.
What is Frogmore Cottage like?
Frogmore Cottage is a Grade-II-listed, five-bedroom house, also on the Windsor estate.
It was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding gift to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back in 2018. The property was extensively renovated for the couple to move in.
Harry and Meghan are said to have added a vegetable garden, nursery and even a yoga studio, as well as installing soundproofing, to tackle the noise of planes going in and out of nearby Heathrow.
The multi-million renovation costs were initially taxpayer funded. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex subsequently repaid the bill following public outcry.
Read more: Prince Andrew dealt new blow as his coat of arms ‘removed’ from Windsor Castle
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